.

when the mystic serpent
injects its venom/soma
into the centre of your brain
opposing left and right hemispheres
synchronise and begin to pulse
in harmonic rhythm

joy overwhelms spirit
and floods being
with delight;
the radiant sun’s glory
fades before the brilliance
of this vision

the firmament with its studded
array is shamed
by shafts of shooting light
issuing from a crystal skull

drear no more
eyes once exposed
to the ineffable beauty
of this landscape see only
perfection

the diamond-mind transformed
cannot return to its carbon past --
the world shudders in delight
and trembles in ecstasy;
there is no going back
to a world of shadows and
the thick fog of ignorance

but seizing a serpent by its tail
requires practice and a rare skill